Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Krabi and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,006 in Krabi, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Krabi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in Krabi
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Krabi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Krabi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,006

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Krabi and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Krabi and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,006 per month in Krabi vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Krabi $1,006
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Krabi vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Krabi $1,391
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,775 per month in Krabi vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Krabi $1,775
Chiang Mai $1,979

Krabi costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Krabi and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Krabi 26% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 ฿99.4

$2.24 ฿75.7

31.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.85 ฿637

$19.00 ฿642

-0.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 ฿286

$5.55 ฿188

52.79%

Cappuccino

$1.75 ฿59.2

$1.67 ฿56.6

4.79%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 ฿35.46

$0.64 ฿21.56

64.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ฿14.56

$0.31 ฿10.32

38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ฿60.5

$2.36 ฿79.6

-24.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ฿78.5

$3.66 ฿124

-36.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ฿76.0

$1.95 ฿65.8

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.44 ฿48.51

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.9

$1.33 ฿45.07

55.64%

Eggs

$1.88 ฿63.6

$2.28 ฿77.1

-17.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 ฿542

$16.45 ฿556

-2.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿93.2

$2.78 ฿94.0

-0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.80 ฿264

$9.31 ฿314

-16.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ฿80.2

$2.35 ฿79.5

0.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.91

$0.97 ฿32.82

6.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿74.7

$1.60 ฿53.9

38.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.56

$1.50 ฿50.7

-4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.97

$1.28 ฿43.15

8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.51

$1.10 ฿37.22

17.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$0.71 ฿23.84

107.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.49 ฿16.38

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿153

$4.14 ฿140

9.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 ฿352

$17.52 ฿592

-40.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.9

$1.61 ฿54.5

8.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ฿83.1

$2.78 ฿94.0

-11.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.28

$0.87 ฿29.33

6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 ฿79.1

$1.16 ฿39.08

101.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 ฿60.2

$0.53 ฿17.82

235.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 ฿205

$2.42 ฿81.8

150.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ฿46.34

$1.45 ฿48.93

-5.52%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.7K ฿733.6K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

3.16%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.4K ฿825.4K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-9.28%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$69.1 ฿2,333

$62.2 ฿2,100

11.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.47 ฿387

$12.17 ฿411

-5.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 ฿825

$20.12 ฿680

21.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 ฿2,090

$37.31 ฿1,260

65.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.09 ฿307

$3.77 ฿127

141.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 ฿248

$6.49 ฿219

12.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,136 ฿274.7K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-44.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.70 ฿496

$53.4 ฿1,802

-72.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.01 ฿507

$24.64 ฿832

-39.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ฿2,509

$91.5 ฿3,089

-18.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ฿2,515

$71.9 ฿2,429

3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 ฿11.5K

$482 ฿16.3K

-29.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 ฿14.0K

$309 ฿10.4K

33.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 ฿23.6K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-30.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$633 ฿21.4K

-19.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,186 ฿40.1K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-49.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ฿34.4K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-35.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$708 ฿23.9K

$590 ฿19.9K

20.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.4

5.57

32.85%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Krabi: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Krabi

$414 41.1%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 25.4% $105

Groceries & Markets

Krabi

$226 22.5%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 3.7% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Krabi

$105 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 10% $11

Eating Out

Krabi

$90 8.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 13.4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Krabi

$80 8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 35.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Krabi

$77 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 34.3% $26

Getting Around

Krabi

$15 * 1.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 310% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $339 in Krabi versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Krabi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Krabi versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $234 – making Krabi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Krabi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

Same time as Krabi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Krabi Chiang Mai 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Krabi
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Krabi vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krabi costs about 8% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,509 per month in Krabi and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Krabi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $339 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,006 in Krabi and $936 in Chiang Mai. That’s a gap of about 8%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Krabi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,006 in Krabi and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,006 in Krabi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Krabi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.